Gas-engine starter.



F. T. SWEIGART. GAS ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 29, 1909.

Patented Sept. 6, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

51-1 00% To; Frank T Sweiyari Vitmcoaeo -7/ZWW% %%wf/ FIEANK THEADORE SWEIGART, OF' KOKO MO, INDIANA.

GAS-ENGINE STARTER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK Tnnanonn SWElGART, a citizen of the United States, re-

sidin at Kokomo, in the county of Howard and btate of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Engine Starters, of whlch the following is a specification.

' the application of m The object of my invention is to produce a mechanism by means of which an internal combustion engine may be started without manual operation, as is now customary.

.The accompanying drawings illustrate my I invention.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing apparatus to the engine of anautomobi e; Fig. 2 a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a detail, on a larger scale, of the starting motor, the front plate bein 4 a section on line 44 of ig. 3; Fig. 5 a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 6a detail of the ratchet connection between the starter and the engine shaft. I

In the drawings, 10 in'licates a cylinder of a gas engine which, in. the drawings, is shown as an automobile en ine mounted upon suitable frame 11. Leading from cylinder 10 is a pipe 12 in which is mounted a check valve 13 openin outwardly from the cylinder. Pipe 12 leads into a storage tank 141 and leading from said storage tank is a pipe 15 in which is mounted a controlling valve 16, a suitable operating member therefor being carried to any desired point convenient of access by the chauffeur. Pipe 15 delivers to a pair of admission chambers 17 of the starting motor18 which comprises a shaft 19. Shaft 19 carries, at its rear end, a ratchet wheel 20, and secured to the shaft 21 of the engine is a head 22 carrying pawls 23 adapted to cooperate with the ratchet 20. Any suitable form of motor may be used to drive shaft 19 but I prefer a small motor of the steam engine type. Said motor comprises a pair of oscillating cylinders 25 120- vided at opposite ends with ports 26 ant 27 .which open through surfaces cooperating with a port plate 28. Port plate 28 is provided with apair of separated ports 29 and 30 at each end the ports 29 communicating with the admission chamber 17 andthe ports 30 communicatin with the atmosphere so that, in the usua and well known manner an pscillation of the cylinder'25 u on its trunnions 32 will bring ports 26 111K 27 al- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 29, 1909. Serial No. 475,014.

removed Fig. I

Patented Sept. 6, 1910.

ternately into register with the ports 29 and 30. The port face of each cylinder is held against the port plate by a suitable spring 33. Mounted within each cylinder is a pis- While the apparatus thus described is intended. to obviate any necessity for manually starting the motor, it is desirable of course to make arrangements by means of which the motor may be started manually in case of accident to the starting motor and I therefore project shaft 19 out of the forward plate of casing 18 and form the exposed end 19 to receive an ordinary starting lever. exposed end can be conveniently covered by means of a screw cap 42.

In operation, the first time the engine is put into service, it must be manually started and the first few explosions in cylinder 10 cause portions of tbeexploded charge to pass beyond check valve 13 and through pipe 12 into reservoir 14 where the pressure is retained by the check valve 13 and controlling valve 16. During this operation the shaft 21 rotates freely relative to shaft 19. After the motor has been stopped, it may be readily started by opening valve 16, permitting pressure from the reservoir 14 to pass to the cylinders 25 and actuate the pistons therein in the same manner as in a steam engine, this actuation resulting in the rotation of gears 37 and 38 and shaft 19 to rotate shaft 21 in a forward direction and thus start the engine. As soon as the engine is started under its own explosion the pressure within reservoir 14 will be renewed and valve 16 is of course closed.

I claim as my invention:

An automobile starter, comprising a main casing having admission chambers, a pair of oscillating cylinders 'journaled within the main casing and provided with ports adapted to alternately register with the admission chamber, a air of pistons one mounted in each of sai cylinders, a crank-shaft journaled in said casing and connected with said pistons, a main shaft also journaled in said casing and having its opposite ends projected from opposite sides of the casing, a rrtchet connection having one This member attached to a projected end of said 26th day: of January, A. D. one thousand main shaft and the other member adapted nine hundred and nine.

for connection with a, shaft of an engine the opposite end ofsai d main shaft being so. FRANK THEADORE SWEIGART '.1 5 formed as to receive a starting crank. Witnesses:

In witness whereof, I, have hereunto set NICHOLAS DESCHAMPS,

my hand and seal at Kokomo. Indiana. thi Tmn WILLIAMS. 

